MOBI, the recently launched Mobility
Open Blockchain Initiative, will explore and develop applications of
distributed ledger technology (DLT) for a new digital mobility ecosystem that
could make transportation safer, more affordable and more widely accessible.

MOBI, backed by major car makers including BMW, Ford, General
Motors and Renault, as well as technology and financial firms, is “creating the
operating system of the 'matter net,’” according to the MOBI website.

The consortium will strive to assist businesses and consumers to
securely manage their driving data, ride-share and car-share transactions, as
well as their vehicle identity and usage information. In a recent report, Financial
Times noted that, according to Accenture, MOBI is “‘the first serious attempt’
by the automotive industry to drive scale and set standards in the mobility
sector currently dominated by Uber, Lyft and Didi.”

“Blockchain [technology] and related trust enhancing technologies
are poised to redefine the automotive industry and how consumers purchase,
insure and use vehicles,” said MOBI chairman and CEO Chris Ballinger, former
chief financial officer and director of mobility services at Toyota Research
Institute, according to the MOBI press release. “By bringing together automakers,
suppliers, startups and government agencies, we can accelerate adoption for the
benefit of businesses, consumers and communities.”

Other members of MOBI’s Board of Directors are Ashley Lannquist
from Blockchain at Berkeley and David Luce, a veteran technology leader. Dan
Harple, CEO of Context Labs; Joseph Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum and founder
of ConsenSys; Brian Behlendorf, executive director of Hyperledger; Jamie Burke,
CEO of Outlier Ventures; and Zaki Manian, executive director of the Trusted IoT
Alliance, are joining MOBI’s Board of Advisors.

“We believe blockchain [technology] will transform the way people
and businesses interact, creating new opportunities in mobility,” said Rich
Strader, vice president of mobility product solutions at Ford Motor Corporation,
per the release. “We look forward to working together with our industry colleagues
as part of MOBI to set the standards for the mobility ecosystem of tomorrow.”

The MOBI press release stated that
the initiative has been launched to accelerate adoption and to promote
standards in DLT and related technologies for the mobility industry and overall
ecosystem. The MOBI partners plan to create simple, standard and digital ways
of identifying cars, people and trips, paying for mobility services and exchanging
and monetizing data.

“Blockchain technology is by essence decentralized, and its full
potential needs to be assessed by working in an open ecosystem,” said Sophie
Schmidtlin, alliance global director for advanced engineering with Groupe
Renault, in the release. “Ultimately, we aim to work together to define future
standards and [use cases] that will make an easier everyday life for our
customers.”

In addition to Financial Times,
the launch of MOBI has been covered by TechCrunch, CNBC and more,
emphasizing the participation of major car makers.

"This is a tectonic shift in the tech landscape, that has the
potential to disrupt the growth plans of legacy tech into the auto," said
Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of digital asset investment firm BKCM, as reported
by CNBC.

(It’s worth noting that non-automotive tech giants, including
Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft, are actively pursuing the connected car
market with large investments.)

Besides car makers, the MOBI initiative includes DLT companies and
groups that are developing specific DLT platforms. While “MOBI itself is
technology and ledger agnostic,” as noted in the press release, it seems
plausible that DLT developers consider the initiative as a way to entrench
their technology in a rapidly growing industry.

Sachin Lulla, the vice president and partner for IBM’s automotive
branch, said that the tech giant is contributing its blockchain consortia
expertise to the group. Behlendorf noted that Hyperledger is collaborating with
industry leaders to develop blockchain-enabled vehicle data and mobility
services applications. And Lubin said that MOBI marks one of the first
ConsenSys ventures into the automotive industry.